Hair and beauty sector covers lots of different job areas such as hairdressers, colour technicians, nail technicians, beauty therapists and lots more. You may find yourself working in a spa, health farms, holiday resorts, film and TV sets, theatre and/or running your own hair salon.

Many people working in this area tend to go on to work in sales, marketing, public relations and photography. If you have enough experience, you can choose to go into education, working as a tutor or lecturer in a training centre to pass on your knowledge and skills.

National

• There are over 36,000 salons in the UK employing over 240,000 people in the UK. Many hairdressers become self employed and tend to hire a chair at a salon or do mobile hairdressing.
• Over the years there has been a growth in nail salons appearing on almost every high street.
• The spa industry is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the UK.
• Beauty therapists and hairdressers occupy the top two spots in the fifth annual City & Guilds Happiness Index – one in three registering a happiness level of 10 out of 10.
• Around 90% of hairdressers are women, however most of the famous names in hairdressing are men for example Nicky Clarke, Mark Hill, Charles Worthington.

Yorkshire and Humber

• Leeds and Sheffield have the most hair salons.
• 8.7% of the workforce in Yorkshire and Humber are in working in the Hair and Beauty sector.
• The majority of people working the Hair and Beauty sector are aged between 16-24.
• The Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority (HABIA) is based at Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster.
• 39 Year 11 Doncaster school leavers entered hairdressing and related employment and/or apprenticeship training in 2010.

• Good social skills
• Listening skills
• Good organisational skills
• Drive and commitment
• Ability to multi task
• Patience
• Honesty and reliable
• Able to cope with pressure and stress
• Be innovative.

There are career opportunities at many levels, with entry qualifications including foundation learning, GCSEs, work-related qualifications such as NVQs, national diplomas, HNCs/HNDs, foundation degrees and degrees. Working in realistic environment or in a workplace is important in this particular work area you giving hands on experience. NVQs and Apprenticeships appear to be a popular choice amongst young people.

www.doncasterchoices1419.org.uk
Find out what courses and training is available in your area.

www.habia.org Information for young people looking to enter the hair, beauty, nails and spa industries, guidance on qualifications and skills, and materials useful for potential students and careers professionals.

www.nextstep.direct.gov.uk
A general careers website with information on a wide range of careers.

www.regionaltrainingprospectus.co.uk
A guide offering careers and training advice, ranging from helping you choose a college to finding an Apprenticeship in your region.

Hairdresser

What are you main responsibilities? What does your job involve?

I work at Anarchy in Doncaster, my job requires me to give clients a first class service. It involves me talking to the clients, making sure that they are well looked after, offering them a drink and making sure that I give them what they want when it comes to style and colour. My main duties and responsibilities entail; opening up the salon, answering the telephone, shampooing, blow-drying, cutting clients hair, cleaning the shop floor and tidying the salon. I am currently training to take payments from customers and cashing up after a busy day at the salon.

What hours do you work?

I work Monday – Saturday, my typical hours are 9.00 am – 5.00 pm, and this also includes one late evening shift a week.

What is your working environment like?

I work indoors in a clean but busy salon.

Do you wear a uniform or have a specific dress code?

No specific dress code, but due to the industry that I work in I do have to look presentable.

Do you use any special tools or equipment?

For me to do my job properly, I need to use the following equipment: scissors, combs, hairdryers, straighteners, colouring solution and hair products.

What skills or qualities do you need?

You have to have an out-going personality as you have to deal day to day with people, sometimes you will have to spend the best part of 3 hours with clients so being able to get on well with people and talk to almost anybody is a definite advantage!

You also have to be creative and keep interested in the latest fashions and hairstyles that grace the cat walks and keep up to date with the latest celebrity hair styles as many clients will come in and ask for you to replicate them.

I have studied for three years and gained an NVQ Level 2 and NVQ Level 3 in hairdressing. I studied full time for 2 years to get my NVQ Level 2 which included; Customer Services. To get my NVQ Level 3 it took me 1 Year full time to achieve.

Why did you choose this type of work?

I have always been interested in this area of work and once I started my college course I knew that this was the right choice for me.

What training do you do/have you done?

Other than achieving NVQ Level 2 & 3 at the HUB, I am always learning and looking for new training opportunities. There are a huge amount of courses available for you to go on once you have qualified as a hairdresser so I am always on the look out.

What do you like/dislike about your job?

It can be a very stressful environment and the pressure at times can be hard to deal with.

I enjoy most aspects of my job, meeting the clients, transforming client’s hair, working on the reception, cleaning the salon. But my most enjoyable aspect is seeing the clients enjoy the experience that we give them in the salon.

What are your main challenges?

At the minute my biggest personal challenge is cutting the clients hair; I feel that I have not had enough experience with the different styles and textures so my confidence lacks a little in this area, but I know that in time and with more experience I can overcome this.

How do you see your future?

Keep on learning and training within the hair industry and hopefully one day own my own salon.

What advice would you give to young people who are about to leave school or are considering a job in a similar work area?

Just to really research into what options are available for you when you make your career choice, as I was not 100% sure what was available to me and I chose to do a full time course at college rather then an apprenticeship scheme where I would have gained a more hands on experience.